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Job outlook for information technology technical leads in the United States
Information technology technical lead job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected information technology technical lead job growth rate is 16% from 2018-2028.
About 82,400 new jobs for information technology technical leads are projected over the next decade.
Information technology technical lead salaries have increased 10% for information technology technical leads in the last 5 years.
There are over 165,079 information technology technical leads currently employed in the United States.
There are 156,246 active information technology technical lead job openings in the US.
The average information technology technical lead salary is $110,879.
Are information technology technical lead jobs in demand?
Information technology technical lead job and salary trends over time
Information technology technical lead jobs over time
Information technology technical lead job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 165,079 | 0.05% |
| 2020 | 169,616 | 0.05% |
| 2019 | 158,170 | 0.05% |
| 2018 | 130,204 | 0.04% |
| 2017 | 124,928 | 0.04% |
Average information technology technical lead salary over time
Information technology technical lead salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $110,879 | $53.31 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $107,226 | $51.55 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $104,798 | $50.38 | +2.0% |
| 2022 | $102,755 | $49.40 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $100,433 | $48.29 | +1.5% |
Information technology technical lead jobs by state
Most common states for information technology technical leads
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 573 | 83% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 314 | 42% |
| 3 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 355 | 41% |
| 4 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 310 | 41% |
| 5 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 759 | 40% |
| 6 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 925 | 32% |
| 7 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 658 | 32% |
| 8 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,676 | 30% |
| 9 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 319 | 30% |
| 10 | Delaware | 961,939 | 289 | 30% |
| 11 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 850 | 28% |
| 12 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,525 | 27% |
| 13 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 809 | 27% |
| 14 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 454 | 26% |
| 15 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 2,507 | 25% |
| 16 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 3,055 | 24% |
| 17 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 2,442 | 24% |
| 18 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,629 | 24% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 822 | 23% |
| 20 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 724 | 23% |
Most common cities for information technology technical leads
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dover | 4 | 11% | $120,357 |
| 2 | Annapolis | 3 | 8% | $111,376 |
| 3 | Bethesda | 3 | 5% | $111,019 |
| 4 | Hartford | 4 | 3% | $130,076 |
| 5 | Springfield | 3 | 3% | $104,896 |
| 6 | Des Moines | 4 | 2% | $104,004 |
| 7 | Tallahassee | 4 | 2% | $108,734 |
| 8 | Little Rock | 3 | 2% | $97,378 |
| 9 | Atlanta | 6 | 1% | $95,689 |
| 10 | Detroit | 6 | 1% | $105,587 |
| 11 | Baltimore | 4 | 1% | $111,537 |
| 12 | Boston | 4 | 1% | $123,887 |
| 13 | Sacramento | 4 | 1% | $134,778 |
| 14 | Tampa | 4 | 1% | $109,799 |
| 15 | Urban Honolulu | 4 | 1% | $91,362 |
| 16 | Phoenix | 7 | 0% | $106,442 |
| 17 | Chicago | 3 | 0% | $107,477 |
| 18 | Indianapolis | 3 | 0% | $105,121 |
| 19 | Washington | 3 | 0% | $97,340 |
Information Technology Technical Lead job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of information technology technical lead experts
Northwood University
University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
University of South Florida
Albertus Magnus College
Troy University
University of Florida
University of Florida
Indiana University
University of Missouri
University of Illinois at Chicago
NCWIT
Loyola University Chicago
Fairfield University
New York Institute of Technology
Western Kentucky University
What general advice would you give to an Information Technology Technical Lead?
Dr. Neil Eldin PhD, PE: Things don’t just happen. You must develop a career plan to maximize your salary potential when starting your career. Find the right employer for yourself. For example, if you are mobile and willing to travel, target employers with international projects. After working for a few years, you can request a transfer to an overseas assignment, and this will instantaneously almost double your salary. If you are not mobile and your circumstances do not allow your travel, seek employment with major corporations and seek positions that are done at the home office (e.g., estimating, procurement, and contracting).
Professor David Sanford
Associate Professor an Department Chair (MIS, CS, CYB MGT, IS CYB)Northwood University
Computer And Information Sciences
What general advice would you give to an Information Technology Technical Lead?
Professor David Sanford: Workers like that they are challenged to solve problems and lead technological innovations.
They appreciate the diversity of projects
They enjoy the need for continuous improvement and education
Many see the global impact of their work.
They also desire and appreciate the need for versatile skills
A competitive salary is also an item that employees like
Workers dislike that the work can be stressful
Dealing with tight deadlines and/ or cybersecurity concerns.
This is a positive and a negative: The need to constantly stay up to date with technology can be a bit overwhelming for some.
There may be times of isolation, and
The unexpected system failures can be frustrating as they often require extra hours or the need to be on-call.
The multiple responsibilities and managing repetitive tasks are also issues workers point out in this field.
In short, the workplace offers exciting opportunities but comes with its fair share of pressures and challenges. Different people have different experiences based on their roles and personal preferences.
Travis Stouffer
Assistant Professor of Information Systems, ChairUniversity of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
Department of Information Systems
What soft skills should all Information Technology Technical Leads possess?
Travis Stouffer: -Conflict Resolution
-Attention to Detail
-Active Listening
Ehsan Sheybani Ph.D.
ProfessorUniversity of South Florida
School of Information Systems and Management
What skills stand out on Information Technology Technical Lead resumes?
Ehsan Sheybani Ph.D.: Analytical and problem-solving skills, Strong technical skills, The ability to work well under pressure, attention to detail, teamwork skills, organization and time management, interpersonal and communication skills, management and leadership skills.
What skills will help Information Technology Technical Leads earn the most?
Ehsan Sheybani Ph.D.: Software development, technical sales leadership, mobile app development, business analysis, digital marketing, affiliate marketing, analytical reasoning, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and blockchain.
David Garaventa
Director, Computer Information Systems and Cybersecurity Programs, Assistant Professor, CISAlbertus Magnus College
Business Administration and Management Department
What skills stand out on Information Technology Technical Lead resumes?
David Garaventa: The skills/attributes required across a variety of jobs in the IT fields.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Information Technology Technical Leads?
Lauren Cole: We are currently seeing a trend of full-time employment at graduation falling an average of 10% over the last year, primarily due to the global pandemic. Though this may mean greater underemployment for a time and a longer wait for graduates to enter the workforce, thankfully the decrease was not quite as bad as first imagined. We do still have employers recruiting our students for internships and jobs, though the style in which they meet with students is now fully virtual. Since employers are now connecting with our students online, this has allowed for a greater variety of employers to be represented from a variety of locations outside of driving distance to campus. I believe the switch to virtual recruiting will be a lasting change in employer recruiting.
Peter Dobbins Ph.D.
LecturerUniversity of Florida
Computer & Information Science & Engineering Department
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Information Technology Technical Lead job market given the pandemic?
Peter Dobbins Ph.D.: I have heard points toward the "working remotely" model. As Computer Scientists, this is something we have known and in certain cases actually have been doing for a number of years. Industry shifts adapting to COVID have brought the fields surrounding CS into the remote work model... and are finding it works! As one of the first fields to embrace the model (a simple transition given how natural the fit), CS majors will only continue to find remote work opportunities.
What skills stand out on Information Technology Technical Lead resumes?
Peter Dobbins Ph.D.: Skills would be the things allowing a student/employee to display their ability to work remotely: initiative, teamwork, independence, self-starter, some of the same things we have always seen were positive attributes.
What skills stand out on Information Technology Technical Lead resumes?
Sanethia Thomas Ph.D.: As we are in a competitve market and moreso now due to the pandemic, it is valuable for students to show work experience and how it relates to the job they are applying for. It is a plus if they can show work experience in a remote environment. Students should be able to show that they are capable in working in a team environment and the roles they filled on the team; team lead, technical lead, front end, back end, project manager ect. Students should also have a portoflio of thier work, projects ect.
I often hear employers seek out students who have expereince working in the community or doing some type of social good. Highlighting community/social good works speaks to human side of the applicant, which most employers value.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Information Technology Technical Leads to find work opportunities?
Sanethia Thomas Ph.D.: San Fransico Bay remains on top with Seattle, New York, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh closley following.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Information Technology Technical Lead job market given the pandemic?
Sanethia Thomas Ph.D.: When the pandemic first hit, I had students very concerned about their summer plans of having an internship, but as things worked itself out, and a lot of students maintained their internship by working remotely. In response to the declining job market, I have seen students redirect their efforts in the direction of graduate school. Many have expereinced difficulties finding job opportunities and "landing" the interview. Therefore more students are considering graduate school as we ride the wave of the pandemic.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Information Technology Technical Lead job market given the pandemic?
Bipin Prabhakar: Technology will become a strategic enabler for most businesses. There will be increasing demand for graduates who can help create this technology (Computer Science/Data Science) and for graduates who can leverage technology (information Systems) to create business value.
What skills stand out on Information Technology Technical Lead resumes?
Bipin Prabhakar: Skills by themselves on resumes do not provide enough information for the reviewer to assess a candidate. The resume has to showcase the actual capabilities rather than just listing skills. What can you actually do with the listed skill? With that said, deep skills in software development, data science and AI or the broad set of skills required to enable digital transformation will be in demand. Digital transformation requires skills in business analysis, business process and process design, technologies such as next generation ERP systems, AI and ML, cloud architectures and platforms and business analytics.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Information Technology Technical Leads to find work opportunities?
Bipin Prabhakar: There are three major sectors that hire technology graduates - the tech companies that tend to be in tech hubs and major cities, major corporations that are all over the country and consulting organizations that tend to have offices in the bigger cities with access to local clients or well-connected airports. Major employers tend to recruit nationally from the top programs across the country. The best time to find work is before graduation and the best place to find work is the campus recruitment process.
What skills stand out on Information Technology Technical Lead resumes?
Dale Musser Ph.D.: -Working on teams and collaboration - people skills matter a lot.
-Past accomplishments in delivering results while working with others
-Technical skills in target areas for job. The hottest areas right now: machine learning, large scale apps, and autonomous systems.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Information Technology Technical Leads to find work opportunities?
Dale Musser Ph.D.: -Yes, everywhere. IT, CS, and CE are in demand in every corner of the U.S. The hot spots are the tech centers, such as the Bay Area, Seattle, Austin, and Atlanta.
-I tell my students to mostly ignore the job sites and to look at the employment and careers pages on company websites. The best jobs never make it to job sites.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Information Technology Technical Lead job market given the pandemic?
Dale Musser Ph.D.: -Work at home for now. "You will have an office at the company after the pandemic."
-Transition of companies to new locations. I see some companies leaving the Bay Area for other locations. Reducing space in San Francisco by a number of companies shows that after the pandemic many employees won't be returning to the physical locations they used to work.
-Increased focus on automation and autonomous systems given the proximity issues.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Information Technology Technical Lead job market given the pandemic?
Matthew Liotine Ph.D.: Currently, much of the hiring is skewed toward online fulfillment roles, which is of no surprise given the pandemic. This includes roles in procurement, which is undergoing a transformation due to COVID. This also means working within the physical environments and operations required to support this activity. Several of our students received offers from Amazon as a result of their hiring push.
What Information Technology Technical Lead skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Matthew Liotine Ph.D.: If a student decides to take time off before moving on to a job or graduate school, they should use that time to develop skills in which you may not receive formal training while in college. For example, skills like leadership, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication are going to be more vital than ever in the new norm.
What general advice would you give to an Information Technology Technical Lead?
Matthew Liotine Ph.D.: Most employers tell me that soft skills are equally, if not more important, than technical skills or domain knowledge. This translates into external/internal customer-facing skills, such as communication, team collaboration, writing, presentation, problem-solving, and being resourceful. (Many graduates overlook writing as a vital skill, but they fail to realize that in the course of their jobs, they will likely be required to write lots of memos and tons of emails.) The need to perfect these skills within the confines of a virtual world has become even more challenging and amplified with COVID. I teach in the information systems discipline, and when you view student resumes, many people look the same on paper. The soft skills will make a candidate stand out head and shoulders above the rest. That's why the candidate should pay attention to the screening interviews that they will undergo during the hiring process since employers will use these interviews to vet these skills.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Information Technology Technical Leads to find work opportunities?
Adriane Bradberry: Technology increasingly permeates every aspect of society and provides the foundation for most modern innovation. Young graduates with computing skills will be able to apply to some of the most fastest-growing and highest-paying jobs over the next decade-jobs that are available in nearly every industry, including art, finance, healthcare, and entertainment. Students can establish and develop necessary skills by exploring computing programming apps, taking Computer Science or IT courses (online or at a local community college, if these classes are not offered at school), taking math classes, and joining after-school computing clubs. Graduates who develop these skills will contribute to meaningful work-developing innovative solutions that save lives, solve health problems, improve the environment, and keep us connected.
What type of skills will young Information Technology Technical Leads need?
Peter Dordal Ph.D.: I'm leaving off software developers, and answering about our Information Technology graduates.
IT students entering the business world will need to know how to get the maximum leverage out of business systems. In many cases, this will mean writing their own specialized queries to extract the precise business intelligence needed; general-purpose "canned" queries just won't cut it. They will need a broad understanding of what software can accomplish for the enterprise and how to deploy new software effectively; this applies to software used in the office as well as to software used in manufacturing and shipping. And they will need to understand how to lease storage and computing resources from the cloud to meet not only predictable, long-term demands but also sudden short-term business projects.
Students working in database administration and management will need to be able to manage much larger volumes of data than a few years ago. They will need to be familiar with the great variety of new databases in order to pick the best tool for the job.
Students working in network management will need to be able to ensure that everyone has the bandwidth and server access they need, as those demands expand to include extensive video, low-latency real-time connectivity, and the regular transfer of huge amounts of data.
Students in cybersecurity will need to be fully acquainted with all the recommended best practices. However, they will also have to be able to anticipate and guard against potential new vulnerabilities. "By the book" protection is no longer sufficient.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Information Technology Technical Leads to find work opportunities?
Peter Dordal Ph.D.: For software developers, yes, there are advantages in working in places where there is a high concentration of other developers. But for students interested in applying IT to business, there are opportunities everywhere.
How do you envision technology impacting Information Technology Technical Leads in the next 5 years?
Peter Dordal Ph.D.: I think the biggest driver for change will be the continued explosive increase in the amount of data available. Ten years ago, it was enough to know customers' names, addresses, and past orders. Now there is a huge stream of information about what customers are looking at, what they are clicking on, what they're doing with your product, and what your customers' customers are doing. Analysis of this kind of information is becoming mainstream.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Information Technology Technical Leads in the next 5 years?
Joshua Elliott Ed.D.: The demand for educators with a background will continue to increase. Many realize that what is happening now in education (in response to the pandemic) is more online survival than online teaching. In many cases, this is true on both the K-12 and higher education levels.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Information Technology Technical Leads in the next 3-5 years?
Babak Beheshti Ph.D.: -The enormous growth of IoT and wearables. The number of connected devices is expected to be more than 26 billion in 2020. That includes things like household appliances, controllable lighting, and much more. This trend is likely to continue as it is expected to see the industry grow to 661 billion dollars by 2021.
-We will be witnessing a more widespread commercial deployment of 5G in 2020. With the implementation of the Standalone 5G devices based on the 3gpp release 16, we should be seeing the more robust mobile broadband deployment of 5G, wider availability of 5G smartphones, and a push towards an all 5G Network in select urban areas around the world.
-Significant growth in AI-based technologies, from face recognition and voice recognition to business intelligence and market predictions. As machines and deep learning algorithms get integrated into many applications, many industries will undergo substantial changes. AI systems will continue to interact with our phones; cars will interpret and analyze their surroundings and intelligently drive themselves. Online vendors will monitor our browsing habits, and Google decides what kind of search results to give us, based on who it thinks we are.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Information Technology Technical Leads to find work opportunities?
Kirk Atkinson: Metropolitan areas traditionally are the hotspots for jobs in this profession. However, technological advances, threats of terrorism, Covid-19, and an already developing trend toward remote work practices may find workers in less than traditional office surroundings. As rural areas advance in high-speed Internet availability, look for more telecommuting from home.